american revolution the war begins
TRANSCRIPT
AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The War
Begins
What Happened Previously
• The First Continental Congress met after
the Intolerable Acts in 1774.
• At this meeting delegates:
– Decided to ban all trade with Great Britain
until the Intolerable Acts were repealed
– Declared the colonies had the right to tax and
govern themselves
– Called for the training of militias to stand up
to British troops if necessary
– Decided to meet in May 1775 if demands were
not met
April 1775
• The British government had no
intention of meeting the demands of
the First Continental Congress.
• Instead, they chose to use force to
restore their authority.
• Meanwhile, colonists began to arm &
form new militias (minutemen).
April 1775
• The governor of Massachusetts
learned the minutemen were storing
arms in Concord – 20 miles from
Boston.
• British troops were sent to seize the
arms and capture some important
colonial leaders.
Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride
• Sons of Liberty found out about the British
plan and sent 3 messengers to warn the
people in Lexington and Concord.
– The 3 messengers were Paul Revere, William
Dawes, and Samuel Prescott.
– Dawes and Revere made it to Lexington and
warned Sam Adams and John Hancock.
– They were then persuaded to carry their
message on to Concord.
On the way to
Concord…
•Dawes was thrown
from his horse, and
had to walk the rest
of the way to
Lexington.
•Revere was
captured by a
British patrol.
•Prescott was the
only one to make it
to Concord.
Draw a Picture of
the Midnight
Ride
Lexington
• Having received the
warning from Revere &
Dawes, 77 minutemen
were waiting when the
British passed through
Lexington.
• The British commander
ordered the minutemen
to go home
A British major yelled “Throw down your arms! Ye villains,
ye rebels.” The militiamen had just been ordered by their
commander to put down their weapons when a shot rang
out. To this day, we don’t know which side fired first in
Lexington to start the war. It is famously known as “the shot
heard around the world.”
Who do you think fired the
first shot?
A.British Soldier
B.Colonist
C.Other (Bystander, hunter,
etc.
The fight at Lexington lasted only minutes, but when it
ended, eight (8) minutemen were killed and (10) were
wounded.
The British then continued their march to
Concord where they planned to seize ammunition
being stored there by the colonists.
A larger battle took place in Concord. This time 400
minutemen fought the British, killing 3 of them. After
searching for hours, very few weapons were found
(colonists had moved them)
The March Back to Boston
• As British troops began their march back to
Boston…
• Almost 4000 militiamen descended upon the
British troops, following them back to Boston,
and firing at them from behind trees, stone walls,
houses, and sheds.
• Before long, British troops were abandoning their
weapons, clothing, and equipment to retreat
faster.
Draw a picture of the
British Troops
Retreating…
When the battle was over, 73 British soldiers were killed,
174 wounded and 26 were missing. For the colonists, 49
were killed, 40 wounded, and 5 were missing.
Lexington and Concord (April 18-19, 1775) – sparked the
beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
After Lexington & Concord
• Even after the battles of Lexington &
Concord, most colonists still did not
favor independence.
• At the same time, many of them were
ready to use force if necessary to
defend their rights against the British.
As the crisis with Britain deepened, the Second Continental
Congress met again in Philadelphia in May 1775. This
second group of colonial leaders served as the colonies’
acting government and met periodically until 1789.
The Congress at first was divided about what to do,
however, they all agreed they needed an army in order
to be prepared for possible war with Britain.
• The colonies voted to
create a Continental
Army.
• They also had to create
new money to pay for
the American Army
They asked
George Washington
to create and
lead the new
American Army.
Why do you think
George Washington
was chosen to lead
the Continental
Army?
Second Continental Congress
• Although the decision was made to create the
Continental Army, many delegates still hoped to
restore peace with Britain after Lexington &
Concord.
• Two resolutions passed in July 1775 showed the
uncertainty of Congress.
– Olive Branch Petition stated the colonists were
loyal to the King & wanted to solve disputes
peacefully.
– The Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of
Taking Up Arms stated the colonists were willing
“to die freemen rather than to live as slaves.”
Second Continental Congress
• The effort to make peace failed.
• King George did not answer the Olive
Branch petition. Instead he declared
the colonies “in open…rebellion” and
Parliament voted to send 20,000
soldiers to the colonies to end the
revolt.
• It seemed as though war was
imminent.
In the beginning of the
war, the British Army
was much stronger than
the American Army. As
a result, the British were
beating the Americans in
many major battles.
It seemed like the war would be a huge mismatch.
Continental Army• Lack of supplies, money, and weapons
• Lack of trained soldiers
• Lack of experience
• Only 4 boats – no real Navy
• Army not well organized
British Army• Plenty of money, weapons and supplies
• Highly trained soldiers
• Lots of experience
• More than 250 naval ships
• World’s most powerful Navy & strong
army
VS
Battle of Bunker Hill
• First official battle - June 17, 1775, north of
Boston
• Americans controlled Bunker Hill & nearby
Breed’s Hill.
• British used cannons and charged the hill
• The British attacked twice and failed. On
the third attack, they succeeded only
because the colonists ran out of
ammunition and had to retreat.
Battle of Bunker Hill
• More than 1000 British soldiers were killed
or wounded; about 400 colonists were
killed or wounded.
• Because Americans retreated, the British
won this battle.
• However, Americans proved they could
fight and stand up to professional British
soldiers.
The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge
(February 27th 1776)
•This was the first battle to take place in North
Carolina.
•The Loyalists and the British planned a
meeting in Wilmington to take control of the
southern colonies.
•The Patriots planned to prevent the meeting.
They removed planks from the bridge over
Moore's Creek and greased them with soap
and animal fat, causing the horses to slip.
•During the ensuing chaos, 50 Loyalists were
killed or wounded. Only 1 Patriot was killed.
The Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge (February 27th 1776)
Draw a picture of
the Battle at
Moore’s Creek
Bridge
The Mecklenburg Resolves The Halifax Resolves
On May 20, 1775, the people of
Mecklenburg County declared
themselves free of British
authority.
On April 12, 1776, the NC state
legislature authorized delegates to
discuss and pursue independence
during the Second Continental
Congress
During a meeting of
the Second
Continental
Congress,
delegates asked
Thomas Jefferson,
just 33 years old
at the time,
to write the
Declaration of
Independence.
Once Jefferson finished writing his draft, he took it
back to the entire group(Second Continental
Congress) for approval.
The colonial representatives debated whether
to include slaves in this new Declaration of
freedom.
The southern colonies wanted to keep slavery legal.
Others wanted to see it eliminated.
This resulted in uncomfortable compromises.
Some other interesting and “fun”
facts about the Declaration of
Independence…
We celebrate Independence Day
on July 4th
every year because
that’s when the Declaration of
Independence was signed.
A.True
B.False
False!
• The official Declaration of Independence
was NOT signed on July 4th
, but it was
adopted by the Second Continental
Congress on July 4th.
• Most delegates actually signed the
document on August 2nd
!
More than one copy of the
Declaration of
Independence still exists
today.
A.True
B.False
True!
• After the Declaration was adopted, 200
copies were printed by Philadelphia printer,
John Dunlap.
• These copies were known as Dunlap
broadsides, and they were distributed
among the colonies and colonial troops.
• Of the 200 copies believed to be made, only
26 are known to have survived.
– They are in museums and libraries.
– Three are privately owned.
There is something written
on the back of the original
Declaration of
Independence.
A.True
B.False
True!
• On the back of the original Declaration of
Independence, there is a message written
upside down across the bottom
• The message reads “Original Declaration of
Independence dated 4th
July, 1776.”
• No one knows who wrote this or when, but
because it was frequently rolled up for
transport, it is believed to be a label.
Battle of Saratoga (Sept - Oct 1777)
The turning point of the American Revolution.
During the Battle of Saratoga, Patriot General Benedict
Arnold employed the fighting style of guerilla warfare
tactics, which lead America to victory.
At the Battle of Saratoga, the Americans captured
6,000 British troops.
America sent Benjamin Franklin to France to
convince King Louis XVI to provide help.
The French Alliance
• Even before the victory at Saratoga, the French
had secretly supplied money & arms to the
Americans.
• The French did not want to openly support the
Americans until it seemed they might win.
• So, as a result of the victory at Saratoga, France
decided to help America.
• They formed the French Alliance.
• Allies of France, Netherlands & Spain, also went
to war with Britain. This helped the Americans
cause as the British had to wage war on many
fronts.
Why do you think France
& Spain were willing to
help the colonists in their
fight for Independence?
The Americans and British started fighting throughout the
Southern Colonies. The Americans were now stronger,
and started to win more major battles.
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse
(March 17th
, 1781)
The Continental Army and the British army fought at
Guilford Courthouse (where Greensboro is today).
They fought viciously for one and one half hours.
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (March 17th, 1781)
•Early in the battle, many of the North Carolina
militiamen panicked and ran away.
•Patriot General Nathanael Greene, however, had a
second line of more experienced troops from Virginia
who stood their ground.
•At one point, the fighting became the fiercest of the
entire War for Independence.
•Although British General Cornwallis defeated the
colonial army at this battle, the British army suffered
huge losses. Eventually, the British marched north to
Virginia.
The Battle of Yorktown (Oct. 19, 1781)
After losing several
battles in the Southern
Colonies, British General
Cornwallis followed
orders and led his troops
to settle in a town in
Virginia called
Yorktown…a fateful
mistake.
The Battle at Yorktown
• Cornwallis thought the British fleet could
reinforce his position.
• But, the French fleet arrived off Yorktown
and chased off British ships.
• Washington rushed towards Virginia with
American & French troops.
• Cornwallis found himself in a trap.
The Battle at Yorktown
• Patriot General George Washington and
Patriot General Marquis de Lafayette had
the British surrounded, and the French and
Americans began the attack on Yorktown.
• American & French soldiers blocked escape
by land and the French fleet blocked
escape by sea.
After three weeks, Cornwallis had no option but
to surrender. The victory at Yorktown was the
last major battle of the war.
Now what? The Patriots got
their Independence from
Britain. What are some of
the things they need to do
now?
Synopsis – The American Revolution
How We Won Our Freedom – History
Channel